Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

The Bible says that we have a physical body and a spiritual body, and that both are connected; one affecting the other. When our physical body goes through the effects of starvation then it must be the same for our spiritual body when it is starved. So I studied out what happens when a physical body is denied food (starvation) and have listed the effects, along with a spiritual meaning when the spiritual body has gone without its food: the Word of God. Then we can see why the body of the Lord’s church is sickly, sleeping and suffering from malnutrition. More important, we need to judge ourselves, each of us asking the Lord to heal us as we begin to seriously read and apply the Word of God, line upon line, precept upon precept – until we are strong and effective as the Lord’s people, the children of the living God.

 

Here are the effects when the physical body is starved along with the effects when the spiritual body is starved:

 

Physical: organs begin to shrink and lose their function. Spiritual: vital gifts of the Holy Spirit lose their function; shrinking faith.

Physical: diarrhea. Spiritual: cannot retain liquid; dehydration of the spirit.

Physical: anemia; weariness, tiredness. Spiritual: sleepy; reluctant to be active; no desire to see or experience more; no perseverance.

Physical: size reduction. Spiritual: body shrinks in size.

Physical: lower body temperature. Spiritual: lukewarm church body; body grows cold; dead in faith.

Physical: unable to digest food. Spiritual: cannot digest the meat of God’s Word; immaturity.

Physical: lack of concentration. Spiritual: unable to think deeply/deep thoughts; short memory; bad judgment – lacks wisdom.

Physical: immune deficient. Spiritual: cannot recognize or refute false teaching; gives in and accepts toxic lies.

Physical: swelling. Spiritual: pride; self-righteousness; self-centered.

Physical: no sex drive. Spiritual: unproductive; no personal fruit; no seed going out – the Gospel does not spread. 

 

Complete starvation:

In adults, it leads to death within 8 to 12 weeks. In the final stages of starvation, adult humans experience a variety of neurological and psychiatric symptoms, including hallucinations and convulsions, as well as severe muscle pain and disturbances in heart rhythm. (The spiritual neurological and psychiatric symptoms: disorder, discord, disunity of the body. Spiritual hallucinations: deceiving counterfeit spirits in control; seeing visions and revelation that are not from God.  Spiritual convulsions: uncontrollable actions; out of order, programs/activities/works of the flesh, not of The Lord. Spiritual disturbance of heart rhythm: the heart of the person or the church – does not beat with God’s heart; therefore the body is not in step with the Holy Spirit. Spiritual death: fallen behind; shut down; overtaken; devoured.)

 

Treatment:

If the degree of malnutrition is severe, the intestines may not tolerate a fully balanced diet. They may, in fact, not be able to absorb adequate nutrition at all. Carefully prepared elemental diets or intravenous feeding must begin the treatment. The treatment back to health is long and first begins with liquids. Gradually, solid foods are introduced. (The spiritual liquid: drinking from the spring of living water; remembering The Lord who bought you with His own blood. Spiritual solid foods: teaching of righteousness, godliness being lived out, and becoming influential and effective. The spiritual recovery is long: progressive day by day self-discipline in obedience to God’s way. Becoming an overcomer with perseverance of faith.)

 

Prognosis:

People can recover from severe degrees of starvation to a normal stature and function. Children, however, may suffer from permanent mental retardation or growth defects if their deprivation was long and extreme. (Spiritually: our sin and rebellion affects others; especially our children, the next generation. What will we, as parents, pass on to our children?)

 

Maybe this is why we/Christ’s church are not very effective today. We have accepted the lies of the world. We have become too weak to fight back, and have laid down – to just accept what we know is a lie. The wisdom and power of God needs to return to the body of Christ, so that we can complete what is ours to do – in our generation. If we don’t do it – it won’t get done!

Are We Losing the West? – Part 10

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

JOHN LOCKE 1632-1704

 

2 Chronicles 1:10  “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

 

We see from Scripture that Solomon started his rule of Israel on the right foundation of wisdom and law: God, who is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, and established the laws for mankind. But, later on Solomon forgets God, he sets aside God’s commandments and laws personally, and so we see the result of this until he comes to the end of his life and returns to his God. In Ecclesiastes we understand how Solomon is very persistent in his teaching in order to convince his son Rehoboam not to make the same mistake in setting God aside.  

 

Another brick in the stronghold was being laid by John Locke, who in some way is looked upon as being the father of ‘modern education.’ John Locke is the one that said that if our minds were like a blank sheet of paper, how would it be filled? His answer: “through experience.” In other words, as we experience life we fill that paper with the knowledge we acquired. This is what the book of Ecclesiastes is about; which is what Solomon learned from what he lived out in his life.

 

Our “Christian” knowledge should come through the revelation of Jesus Christ through Holy Scripture and personal experience of His presence in our lives. In Scripture we are taught how to live, or in other words, we are taught morality; the principles and laws we are to live by. However, John Locke’s philosophy would be that we understand life and morals through experience, determining your own definition of good and bad.

 

Psalm 119 is one of the great Psalms that exalt the Word of God. Look what is said: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”  (vs. 9)

 

I have two grandsons ages 18 and 14. How will they keep their way pure? Through experience? Or, by the direct revelation that comes from the Word of God?

 

“Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” (vs. 24) I told my two grandsons to choose their friends wisely, but their counselors even more wisely. God’s Word revealed by God’s Spirit – is our best Counselor.

 

“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” (vs. 98-100) 

 

During the 18th century John Locke was a key figure in seeing humanistic rationalism beginning to replace Holy Scripture in Europe and then soon afterwards, here in America. About mid-1650 these radical ideas began to over-take the universities in England and soon also began the downward course of universities like Harvard in America. Originally Harvard was established to be a training base for pastors, but it soon succumbed to the radical ideas put forth by men like John Locke.

 

Because of what was happening at Harvard, conservative churchmen opened up Yale University in 1701 and the college of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University in 1748. However, the breakdown of the Christian faith at university level was done by John Locke and some of his fellow colleagues.

 

Historians Charles Taylor and Jerrold Seigal claim that Locke’s “essay concerning human understanding” marked the beginning of the modern Western conception of the ‘self.’

 

“Wallbuilders” comments, “It is not an exaggeration to say that without John Locke’s substantial influence on American thinking there might well be no United States of America.”

 

Like I said about Thomas Aquinas, from him we received many good things and this is true of John Locke as well. John Locke was raised as a puritan protestant, but later his confidence in human reasoning led him to doubt 

the doctrines of the Trinity, the sovereignty of God, the atonement of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ; which are essential to the Christian faith. This “human reasoning” moved him little by little into the camp of what was known as the Latitudinarians. 

 

The Latitudinarians were a group of Anglican Christians active from the 17th through the 19th centuries and who were opposed to the dogmatic positions of the Church of England. They allowed ‘reason’ to inform theological interpretation and judgment.

 

When one looks at John Locke’s ‘philosophical system’ in addressing knowledge, God is completely out of the system. However we, who have a Biblical worldview know that God, and in particular Jesus Christ, is the source of all knowledge and wisdom.  

 

“Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3

 

If the mind starts out like a blank sheet of paper, like John Locke states, then how does it process the first data that enters it? If it is not God and His revelation from Scripture, then how do we know that what or who is interpreting – is correct? Eventually we begin to process information in a wrong way that leads to a disintegration of our social systems like economics, education, marriage, law and justice, etc. This would seem to be what is happening today in the West, in America. True knowledge, and the wisdom that knows how to use our right knowledge, comes from God.

 

We read that: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:13) If we depend solely upon our mind and reasoning then how do we know that something is true or not? In our public education system today we are being taught that our mind of reason is sufficient to discern ‘truth’ apart from God’s word. What has been the result of this in our society? Decay; the crumbling of a godly society!

 

 

 

Are We Losing the West – Part 9

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

John 14:6: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

Colossians 2:2-4: “Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

 

Thomas Aquinas, when he suggested that there could be a second method of thought built on human reasoning apart from Scripture, laid down the first brick that others could begin to build on.

 

The next brick layer in building the evil stronghold that is destroying Western Civilization is Rene Descartes with his famous saying: “I think therefore I am.” Descartes was born in 1596 in France, went to a Jesuit college at the age of 8 and then earned a law degree at the age of 22. An influential teacher set him on a course to apply mathematics and logic to understanding the natural world.

 

Rene Descartes, living in Holland at the time, compartmentalized his life. He did not hold to the fundamental beliefs of the church. At the age of 38 he committed fornication with a woman. In this day and age we would not think much about it, but in Holland that was not something that was done. It is estimated that the illegitimacy rate was a low 0.69%; that is before humanism came in and began to destroy the fundamental Scriptural truths. Now some of the illegitimacy rates in the Western world are as high as 60%.

 

Francis Schaefer (who spoke in some of our Operation Mobilization conferences back in the late sixties) said that one of the problems we have today is that our Christianity is compartmentalized. He used the illustration of the upper and lower floor. In the upper floor we have our spiritual life and in the bottom floor is everything else, and there are no stairs in between.

 

I have seen this in Europe. Even my own father-in-law (from Finland) would say that his religious life is a private affair. He would never talk about it. Even today, not only in Europe but also in the United States, we have politicians who advocate for homosexuality, gay marriages, and abortion on demand and still have a standing in the churches.

 

When we do not begin with Christ as the source of all knowledge and wisdom we then either begin with ourselves or try to find some ‘truth’ outside of ourselves, and in doing so we miss truth and reality altogether. We miss our entire purpose in life.

 

Rene Descartes took the first approach to build his philosophy by trying to seek some ultimate truth within himself and the ‘great book of the world’ and eventually came up with his famous statement: “I think therefore I am.”

 

He let his doubts about God bring him to make this statement. Through his demented reasoning he goes from doubting his existence to proving his existence, and from there, to proving the existence of God. I am sure that God is relieved that Rene has proved His existence!

 

Rene Descartes starts with himself and goes from doubting to proving his existence and then to the fact that God exists. If this seems confusing then join the club because this is what you get when you do not start with God. But, no matter how you try to disprove God’s existence, the fact remains that God created life and established foundations, and He laid down the law for mankind to live by.

 

The Bible teaches us that there is only one way to build our foundation of knowledge and that is “in the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs 1:7) Without knowing that God exists it can be said that we cannot know anything for certain.  It is ridiculous to prove our own existence without first knowing that God exists. We are told in Acts 17:28: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” This is truth and faith on our part gives truth its life.

 

So what we are seeing is a fast moving away from what the Bible teaches. What we see coming out with Rene Descartes’ thinking is that man’s intellect is the great judge concerning what is believable and certain, and that Scripture is not the truth or the judge of our thoughts. Man is becoming his own self-made ‘god’ thinking what he wants to think, according to his own evil heart.

 

Descartes was trying to come to a knowledge of God through his own existence and reasoning, but for those of us who adhere to the teaching of the Bible we realize the existence of God is seen through the Father revealing Himself through His Son Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ revealing Himself through His indwelling Spirit.  

 

Matthew 11:27: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

 

When we look at the bricks laid down over the centuries to build the evil stronghold that is destroying Western Civilization we begin to understand why today in the 21st century the name of Jesus Christ is so hated.

Are We Losing the West – Part 8

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

 

“Soft days for evangelical Christians are past, and only a strong view of Scripture is sufficient.” (Quote from Francis Schaeffer)

 

We read that for any offense:  “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) This is good for most things that come our way. If a prophetic word is given to me I want it established by the testimony of two or more witnesses. Often the Lord has brought a thought to my mind about a certain thing, subject, etc. The thought does not contradict Scripture, but before I speak it or publish the thought I want two or more witnesses to back it up.

 

Is this foolish or is it wise? I think it is the latter and when we look at some of the ideas and philosophies that have shaped our culture over the centuries it would have been good to stick to this advice. Most of the men that we will be looking at in the weeks ahead are men who have had a Christian background.

 

For example:

Rene Descartes – Roman Catholic

John Locke – Puritan, Protestant

Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Calvinist, Protestant

Jeremy Bentham – Anglican, Protestant

Ralph Waldo Emerson – Congregationalists, Protestant

Charles Darwin – Anglican, Protestant

Frederick Nietzche – Lutheran, Protestant

Karl Marx – Lutheran, Protestant

John Dewey – Congregationalist, Protestant

Jean-Paul-Sartre – Roman Catholic and Protestant

Nathaniel Hawthorne – Congregationalists, Protestant

Mark Twain – Presbyterian, Protestant and

Ernest Hemingway – Baptist, Protestant

 

One thing that we need to keep in mind is that not only do ideas have consequences, but they can be good or bad and we need to be able to discern whatever comes our way. First, if an idea cannot be backed up by Scripture then we need to be wary of it. We see this today with some of our so-called prestigious universities that have ruined the faith of our children who attend these places.

 

As I mentioned before, Thomas Aquinas born in Italy in 1225 was not only a Dominican Friar and priest, but an influential philosopher and theologian. He was considered one of the top proponents of natural theology; which is a branch of theology based on reasoning and ordinary experience, to be distinguished from revealed theology based on Scripture and religious experience.

 

As I stated before, Kevin Swanson said in his book APOSTATE: “His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived in development or refutation of his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics natural law, metaphysics, and political theory.”

 

Thomas Aquinas is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church as well as honored as a Doctor of the Church. Core teaching for new priests is the study of Aquinas’ works.

 

Thomas Aquinas gave us many good things, but like Kevin Swanson brings out that one flaw in his reasoning is when he suggested that there could be a second method of thought built on human reasoning apart from Scripture. This thought eventually gave our secular universities the open door to kick God out of higher education; which is what we see today. It is said that just before he died he made a statement to his friend, Reginald Piperno: “All I have written seems like straw to me.”

 

What does Scripture say: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-6

 

The apostle Paul said: “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:1-4

 

We know that in back of all these worldly philosophies is the sinister, warped mind of Satan and his hatred towards anything that pertains to Jesus Christ. What we see is how brick by brick, idea upon idea – a system was built that tore us away from the reality of Scripture; from the truth. Because of this we find that evil strongholds have taken over the higher education and is taking us back to paganism; a pagan society where God is not worshipped or obeyed.

Are We Losing the West – Part 7

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

DUCK DYNASTY DEBATE

 

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

 

When this debacle came out about the Duck Dynasty I was motivated to put down a few thoughts.

 

I have never watched the reality series Duck Dynasty, but I have listened to the testimony of Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the series. Like my text says, “There is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death.” In the 20th century, which is known as the century of genocide, we have seen where some of our governments have killed over 150 million people. This does not include war killings. Why did this happen? I believe it happened and will continue to happen because man is trying to take the place of God and thinks his way of living is better than God’s way. One thing that I have learned from history is that man makes a very ‘bad god.’

 

A question that comes to my mind is: What is the real debate about? Is it over homosexuality, abortion, government control, or what? I think it is a debate on whether we are going to follow God’s way or man’s. Are there two ways of thinking or two sets of knowledge or truth? Let me try and explain what I mean.

 

Thomas Aquinas born in Italy in 1225 was not only a Dominican Friar and priest, but an influential philosopher and theologian. He was considered one of the top proponents of natural theology; which is a branch of theology based on reasoning and ordinary experience to be distinguished from revealed theology based on Scripture and religious experience.

 

Kevin Swanson in his book APOSTATE says: “His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived in development or refutation of his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics, and political theory.”

 

Aquinas, with his idea of natural theology, opened the door for other philosophers to join in and this in the 21st century eventually has brought us to the place where human reasoning and ordinary experience is competing with God’s Word – the Bible, with man taking the place of God. This to me is where the real debate is. Can we trust only human reasoning and experience? Looking back in history, and just in the 20th century, I would say “Absolutely NOT!” Because, as I stated, “man makes a very ‘bad god.’

 

 

Are homosexual men/women sinners and going to hell? Yes. Is the practice of homosexuality sin? Yes! Are there heterosexual men/women sinners going to hell? Yes. Is sexual intercourse outside of marriage sin? Yes!  The book of Romans is very emphatic about it, saying that “we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  THIS IS WHY WE ALL NEED THE SAVIOR; WHY GOD HAD TO MAKE A WAY FOR US THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN AND AMEN!!!

 

 

We celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, but we need to keep in mind the following verses:

 

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

 

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

 

The real debate is between man’s reasoning and personal experience verses   Holy Scripture and religious experience. Right now in our universities it is man’s reasoning that is winning the debates. This is why there is such a war against the Word of God. We are not allowed to quote it in any of our public discourse in courts, schools, etc. We often hear the pundits say that because there are some who do not recognize or accept Scripture – we cannot use it. Ridiculous! I say, I do not accept man’s reasoning, so then we cannot use man’s experiences either in determining right and wrong, lie and truth.

 

God’s word is: “Living and active; sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

 

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)

 

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

 

We as God’s people need to be so saturated with the Word of God that the principles of the Bible not only come out of our mouth in our daily discourse, but also will be seen in our daily living.

 

The opponents will always try and change the debate by looking at ‘religion’ and the damage that has been done by Islam, Hinduism, Crusades, etc. When I was in Nainatal (India), a hill station in the Himalaya Mountains, I was asked to speak in a Hindu college. They told me that they did not want me to speak about religion. I said that was fine because I did not want to speak about religion, but about the life of one solitary figure that has impacted the world like no other: Jesus Christ. When they heard that they said, “Oh! that is fine.”

 

My prayer is that we, who say we follow Christ, be so filled with His Word that out of our mouths (out of the abundance of our hearts) will come forth God’s wisdom, that weakens and humiliates man’s. I for one, have had enough of the puny wisdom of man. We need God’s great wisdom for living out our lives in the fullest, the way God intended for mankind. Like I said, men make terrible gods and we have all the inhumanities to prove it.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Lord, when I am not in Your word every morning my hope weakens as I become paralyzed with fear at the things I see. So show me in Your word how to think about these things and what to do; teach me how to do your will for you are my Lord and I want to walk with You. By Your Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. Rescue me from my enemies who are quick with lies; the truth is not in them.

 

Son, when you live by My words you will have My joy; so never stop feeding on My words each morning. This is how I am welcome in your heart and home, and how we walk together day to day. I came to seek and save those who are lost; I sought you out and saved you. It is my will that all people understand the way to My peace; the way that I showed you. My way of peace is hidden because people do not accept their opportunity for My salvation. They have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but can not hear. Therefore, their hearts have become hard like stone; layered callous built up from rejecting so many opportunities I have brought them. 

 

Those who follow My words are My good servants. They are faithful with all that I entrusted to them. Satan, the accuser, is always accusing them. But I, the Lord, reject his accusations against My holy people! Satan shouts that they are a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire, and no use to Me. But, I say to My ministering angels, “Take off their filthy clothes, for I have taken away their sins, and I am giving them fine new clothes.”

 

Son, I don’t see you as you were; I see you finished and with Me in My kingdom. I don’t see ashes; I put My fire in you. People see a glow and are drawn to you because I live in you. So move among them freely and with readiness. For this is the time of My favor, but the day is soon coming when I will remove My favor from the earth because My work is done. 

 

I see what you want to do, and I favor it. But, do not despise the small beginning; for I rejoice to see your work begin. Every work begins small, and you need to pay attention to what I am teaching you. Be careful to follow My ways and to serve Me in every step of the way. I have given you My favor and authority to accomplish your work. You will succeed not by force or by your own strength, but by My Spirit. So yield to Him continually. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain will stand in your way; for it will become a level plain before you!

 

Lord, since I have been given new clothes and have Your favor and authority, help me to understand who I am in You. Let me experience more and more the power of Your words to me! I believe that because You have said so, nothing can stop me or any of Your children from doing all that is on their hearts to do for Your glory.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

I just read the story of a man who was from the tribe of Levi (Judges 19-21) who was traveling through the tribe of Benjamin with his concubine and they stayed the night with an old man in the city. That night the leaders of that city came and told the old man to bring out the man in his house so that they could have sex with him. The thought that came to me is: Unaccountable homosexuality will allow homosexuals to become very bold and even more despicable in how they force themselves on others. It’s their choice to live the life of homosexuality, but they have no right to force it on anyone else; which is exactly what is happening in this story. According to God and His Word, there is not only a natural consequence for homosexuality, but a severe judgment.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, today people in America do whatever seems right in their own eyes. They have forgotten all that I have done for them. Their leaders have become proud.

 

Lord, do not let them have their way so that their evil plans succeed; surely Your children are upset and afraid at what is taking place!

 

Son, look at what’s happened in America. People eat and are not satisfied. They drink but are still thirsty. They buy new clothes only to want more. They work hard, but their money disappears as though they were putting them in pockets filled with holes! Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. Because they refuse to return to Me, I will destroy everything they have worked so hard for.

 

My children must think carefully about what I am about to say, “What this world honors is detestable in My sight! I am about to shake America and destroy all the treasures it depends upon; for America is like all the other ungodly nations. The people have forgotten that everything they have has come from My hand of blessing. Even the silver and gold are Mine; for I created all the wealth in the earth. People like to appear righteous in the eyes of the public, but I know their hearts; just how far from Me they are.”

 

Son, I have sparked enthusiasm in My children to complete My work. They must get it done, and know that I am with them as they work. They must not be afraid of the leaders in their nation. For, I give the faithful a promise that I will protect and bless them. When I shake the heavens and the earth, My children must use all of their worldly resources to help others find Me, and know that when their earthly possessions are gone I will welcome them into their eternal home. If My children are faithful in the little things I ask of them, then they will be faithful in things much greater. If they are dishonest in little things, I can not trust them with greater responsibilities. If they are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, how will I trust them with the true riches of heaven?

 

Lord, You know when I sit down and stand up, when I rest and how I work. You know my every thought, even the thoughts I want to keep secret and hidden.  You see where I go and what I do at home. You know everything about me. You know what I am going to say even before I say it. You go before me because I can’t see the snares that are set for me. You follow behind me because the enemy is a back-stabber. I can never escape Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence! And I’m so glad! You made my body and knit me together. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion; as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment in my life was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O Lord. Thank You that when I wake up, I am certain that You are still with me! Help me by pointing out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along Your good path.

 

Lord, help me to have the enthusiasm and endurance to run this race that You have set before me. Help me to keep my eyes on You and not on the things of this world.

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, remember that those who exalt themselves, I will humble, and those who humble themselves, I will exalt! These proud people do not worship Me, or ask for My guidance or seek My blessings. In the end their lives will be destroyed. They will grope around like the blind, thinking that their silver and gold will give them the direction they need. They will receive the wages of their pride; they will become an utter ruin.

 

Son, if you want to follow Me, then your love for Me must be greater than your love for your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and yes, even your own life; otherwise you cannot be my disciple. But, don’t follow Me until you count the cost; for it will cost you everything you own on this earth. Those who seek Me are humble; for they follow all of My commands. They live their lives by doing what is right. They walk in My truth and love.

 

Lord, I worship and praise Your name because of Your unfailing love and faithfulness. Your promises for my life and my family are backed by the honor of Your name. For Your name is great: the Name above all names. You are close to the humble and You take care of them. But, You keep Your distance from the proud because that is what they want; they do not love You or even think of You like the humble do. Lord, thank You for letting me get close to You. I know You will work out Your plans for my life.

 

Daily Devotional

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Son, there are three types of people living today: Those who know Me personally, those who know of Me, and those who refuse to acknowledge Me.

 

To those who refuse to acknowledge Me I ask, “Why are you scheming against Me? Don’t you understand that I can destroy you with one blow! Your life of lies is like dust in the air that attaches to everyone who walks by, and I have instructed My children to shake off the dust of your lies from them, to show that I have abandoned you. My power is great, and I never let the guilty go unpunished.” I will now leave them and show them their fate.

 

To those who know of Me, I ask, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world, but are lost from Me? Anyone who starts with Me and then looks back at the things of this world is not fit for My Kingdom. If you see people in need don’t go out of your way to ignore them; feeling no compassion to help them, and then justifying your actions. What shame is there in helping needy people? If you are ashamed of Me and My message, I will be ashamed of you when I return in glory.”

 

To My children; those who know Me, I say, “I have broken the yoke of man from your neck and thrown off his chains. I have given you power and authority, and I am sending you out to tell everyone about Me and My kingdom. You must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. Remember that if you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. So listen to Me, and remember what I say! The harvest is great, but My workers are few, so pray for more workers! I am sending you with authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing will stop you. But don’t rejoice in pride over this power with authority; rejoice because your name is registered in heaven. Do not be worried and upset over the details of life, but remember there is only one thing worth being concerned about, and that is that you listen to Me and do what I do.”